SOX Auditor - IT Controls Manager

Payward's Risk & Audit function operates as an Integrated Assurance organization, bringing together Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management under a unified risk oversight strategy. This role sits within Internal Audit and will lead the independent testing of IT general controls and IT application controls across the SOX program. You will lead Internal Audit’s IT SOX controls testing program building the testing approach, workpapers, and institutional knowledge from the ground up.

Responsibilities

Lead the execution of independent testing of IT General Controls (ITGCs) across key control domains: access management, change management, and system operations; Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of IT controls across in-scope applications and infrastructure, including systems that support blockchain-native operations, digital asset custody, and crypto trading platforms; Identify new systems, applications, or process changes that emerge during testing and assess their SOX implications; Build and maintain testing programs, templates, and workpapers for IT SOX testing; Identify opportunities to leverage AI-enabled workflows and data analytics; Independently validate the remediation of open SOX findings; Evaluate control deficiencies by performing root cause analysis; Assess whether management’s remediation actions are adequately designed and operating effectively; Track remediation progress and report status to Internal Audit leadership and the Audit Committee; Serve as Internal Audit point of contact for IT control owners; Contribute to Internal Audit reporting to the Audit Committee, external auditor, and senior leadership; Partner with business process SOX tester and co-sourced resources.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in IT audit, internal audit, external audit, or SOX compliance, with significant exposure to IT general controls testing; Experience in crypto, fintech, payments, or technology-intensive environments with complex, rapidly evolving infrastructure; CISA and CPA certifications required. Candidates with one certification who are actively pursuing the other will be considered; Strong knowledge of ITGC frameworks, SOX compliance requirements, COSO, COBIT, and PCAOB auditing standards as they apply to IT controls; Hands-on experience testing ITGCs across access management, change management, and system operations; Technical fluency with enterprise technology environments — you don’t need to be an engineer, but you need to understand how systems, databases, and deployment pipelines work to effectively test the controls around them; Understanding of how IT controls underpin the reliability of financial reporting — you can connect an ITGC failure to its downstream impact on business process controls and the financial statements; Experience working with or alongside external auditors (Big 4 preferred) on SOX engagements; Experience operating across multi-entity structures or multiple jurisdictions; Effective communicator who can translate technical IT audit findings for control owners, engineering teams, senior leadership, and external stakeholders.

Nice to have

Familiarity with blockchain infrastructure, digital asset custody systems, on-chain transaction processing, or crypto-native technology environments; Experience with CI/CD pipelines, GitLab or similar version control systems, cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP), and modern deployment practices; Prior experience building or scaling an IT SOX testing program in a growth-stage or first-year SOX company; Familiarity with audit management platforms such as AuditBoard or Workiva; Familiarity with AI-assisted audit tools and willingness to adopt emerging technologies.